GB1014767A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for grouping and spacing objects on a conveyer - Google Patents

Abstract

1,014,767. Endless conveyers; load engaging devices. E. P. REMY & CIE. Oct. 22, 1962 [Nov. 7, 1961 (2)], No. 39860/62. Heading B8A. An apparatus adapted to properly arrange bottles B &c. on a conveyer belt 2a or 2b to permit subsequent gripping, comprises a grouping device 1a disposed upstream of a distributing device 23a (Fig. 5), the devices being driven simultaneously with and in the same direction as the belt and at a lower velocity, and being provided with stop members 9 and 29 adapted to co-operate with the bottles B. Each of two grouping devices la, 1b (Fig. 1) on opposite sides of the conveyers 2a, 2b comprises an endless chain 3 in the horizontal plane driven by a pair of sprockets 4, 5 mounted on a rigid frame. A plurality of supports 8 secured to the chain 3 at selectively spaced intervals, each carry a pivotally mounted stop member 9 normally urged by a spring 11 into a position inclined to the chain 3. A roller 12 on each support 8 engages a rigid guide member 13 along the operative portion of the chain path adjacent to the belt. In operation, one of the stop members 9 is engaged by a bottle and is pushed into a position at right angles to the direction of travel, whereupon the bottle velocity is retarded and the following bottles contact one another. The following stop member divides the contacting bottles into separate groups. As the first stop member is retracted from the path of the bottles, the first group is conveyed by the belt to the distributing device 23a. Each of two distributing devices 23a, 23b (Fig. 5), is similar to the grouping device but the supports 28 incorporate pins 29 slidably mounted in sockets 30 and selectively spaced to allow one bottle B between any two pins which are disposed at right angles to the chain. A roller integral with each pin 29 engages guide members 33a, 33b which cause the pins to be ejected from their sockets on the operative portion of the chain path and otherwise receded. A first pin 29a of the series is fixed in the ejected position and engages the first bottle of the group while the following bottles are spaced from each other by the ejected pins 29. In further embodiments of both the grouping and distributing devices (Figs. 3, 4, 7, 8, not shown) the endless chain is disposed in a vertical plane and underlies the conveyer. The stop members consist of rods slidable in supports rigid with the chain links. Rollers on the inner ends of the rods engage guide members which cause the rods to be ejected up through the supports and through the belt, on the operative portion of the chain path. These devices may be arranged between adjacent conveyer belts for simultaneous spacing of two or more rows of bottles.